Vincent

House Leader: Mrs Amanda White
House Patron: Saint Vincent de Paul
Feast Day: 27th September
House Values/ Charisms: Charity, Service, Care, Humility & Advocacy.

House Captains

Year 12: Sienna Sims & Judd Schubert
Year 11: Tayah Martens & Hunter Jones
Year 10: Taite Sims & Miles Lovatt
Year 9: Amy Campagna & Charlie Maher
Year 8: Sadie Skewes & Ryley Canning
Year 7: Emily Martens & Kyle Tyers

Vincent House is named after our patron St. Vincent de Paul. Born on April 24, 1581, St. Vincent de Paul was educated by the Franciscans at Dax, France and was ordained in 1600. As a young man he ministered to the wealthy and powerful. However, an appointment as a chaplain to a poor parish, inspired him to a vocation of working with those most disadvantaged and powerless.

St. Vincent de Paul is best known for his charity and compassion for the poor. His motto, “charity is the cement which binds communities to God and persons to one another,” best emphasises this. The St Vincent de Paul Society was named after St Vincent and follows his teachings and compassion for people in need. Galen has a long association of working with this charity through the Winter Appeal, Op shop and the Vinnies Food Van in Melbourne.

I am inspired by St Vincent’s compassion, modesty and generosity. Let’s embrace this new opportunity to create a sense of group identity by drawing on the qualities and values of our Patron. 

St. Vincent de Paul embodies the values of charity, service, care, humility and advocacy and we hope that as members of Vincent, you will strive to uphold these charisms. 

We are purple in colour, which represents strength, peace and compassion.

Symbols & Story

Vincent House Symbol: is represented by a cross in the palm of a hand. The hand symbolically represents the hand of love offering “a hand up” to people in need. The cross reflects the church’s mission to live the gospel message by serving Christ in the poor with love, respect, justice, hope and joy, and by working to shape a more just and compassionate society.

Yorta Yorta Clan: Yalaba Yalaba – this clan represents the spirit of love and advocacy.

Prominent Aboriginal Person:

MARGARET WIRRPANDA 

Born in 1939 on the Cummeragunja Aboriginal Reserve in New South Wales, Margaret ‘Dharrul’ Wirrpanda was an avid campaigner for the rights of Aboriginal people, the empowerment of women and children, the revival of traditional culture and support of native title. 

Margaret grew up in Shepparton with her eight siblings, her mother, Geraldine Briggs, and her father, Selwyn Briggs. Both of her parents were heavily involved in the Aboriginal rights movement, her mother, in particular, dedicated her life to improving the lives of others and was an influential role model to Margaret. From an early age, Margaret would visit Aboriginal families alongside her mother and hear their stories of struggle. 

At the beginning of the 1960s, Margaret became involved with the Federal Council of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (FCAATSI), campaigning alongside her mother and sister Hyllus on issues sicu as equal ages and land rights. Their efforts contributed to the success of the 1967 Referendum, however, Margaret always viewed the referendum as just one small step in a long journey. 

Though Margaret received no formal high school education, she could more than hold her own in meetings with senior figures across government and the private sector. She and other Aboriginal women saw how mainstream services were failing their people and therefore, established community-run, culturally appropriate alternatives. 

After marrying David Wirrpanda, a Yolngu Djapu man from north east Arnhem Land, Margaret and her children divided their time between the Northern Territory and Victoria. She learnt to speak fluent Gumatji, a local dialect, and connected with the Elders, who added to her knowledge of Aboriginal culture. Back in Victoria, Margaret was a proud supporter of the Worawa Aboriginal College, which she helped her sister Hyllus to establish in 1983. She played an important role in running the school for many years, reminding the students that it was “character not colour” that counted. 

A fervent campaigner for Aboriginal land rights, Margaret was integral to an early claim lodged by the Yorta Yorta Tribal Council in 1984 for traditional ownership over Barmah Forest. She went on to become a plaintiff in the long-fought Yorta Yorta native title claim heard by the Federal Court, attending every proceeding and appeal between 1996 and 2002. After the Victorian Government signed a ground-breaking co-operative land management agreement with the Yorta Yorta people in 2004, Margaret sat on the committee that handled water issues. She was devoted to her country her entire life. 

Margaret always held her hand out to anyone who needed help in standing up for themselves, she is remembered for her advocacy and her care much like St. Vincent de Paul. This is why we have chosen her to be Vincent’s prominent Yorta Yorta person. 

Ref: https://www.aboriginalvictoria.vic.gov.au/margaret-dharrul-wirrpanda

Charity:

St. Vincent de Paul
Vinnies

The St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia has more than 60,000 members and volunteers, who work hard to assist people in need and combat social injustice across Australia. Internationally, the Society operates in 153 countries and has over 800,000 members.

Patron Quotes:

  1. ‘Sharing in the good’
  2. ‘Light and strength’
  3. ‘For charity’
  4. ‘Simple and humble’
  5. ‘Charity towards the neighbour’

Prayer:

Dear Lord,
Give us the strength You gave to Your servant St. Vincent de Paul, founder of the Vincentians and Daughters of Charity.
Through his dedication to the welfare of the vulnerable, may we feel inspired to live as selflessly as he did.
Like St. Vincent, may we always be doing good works among those whom society has abandoned, enslaved, or forgotten. 
Inspire us to feed the hungry, provide care to the sick, shelter to the homeless, and clothe those whose garments are threadbare. 
May our community continue to embody St. Vincent’s charisms of compassion, humility and generosity.
Amen

Chant

Come on Vincent
This is our thing
Let’s all stand and
loudly sing
Vincent Fast
Vincent Strong
This is Vincent’s
winning song
Put on your shoes
and have a dance
Come on Vincent
This is our chance.